This year’s freshmen have an exceptionally difficult challenge ahead of them: applying their degrees at a time when “generative” AI technology, such as ChatGPT, is starting to transform the American workplace.
LinkedIn’s Chief Economic Opportunity Officer, Aneesh Raman, told that the knowledge economy that has dominated the world for the past 50 years or more is about to disappear and be replaced by a brand-new economy.
AI is already having an impact on Americans who have just graduated from college in a variety of disciplines and occupations, including journalism, legal, technology, finance, and market research. As a result, unemployment among new graduates recently overtook the national unemployment rate for the first time; some analysts link this change in part to the pervasive influence of artificial intelligence.
Senior U.S. economist Matthew Martin of Oxford Economics said there are indications that artificial intelligence is replacing entry-level jobs more quickly than it is replacing higher-level jobs.
We asked three experts in academics, recruitment, and consultancy for guidance on how recent college graduates can handle this new normal, as the use of AI in the workplace is only anticipated to increase. What they said is as follows.
Gain proficiency in AI
The use of gen-AI tools by young job seekers is perhaps the most significant development.
“Almost everyone in that audience, regardless of their career path, will be expected to use AI with some facility right away,” said Joseph Fuller, a Harvard Business School professor and the creator of the Managing the Future of Work project. Fuller likened the task to teaching a previous generation of graduates how to use Microsoft Office.
In order to get started, experts advise those who are just beginning their job search to become acquainted with the variety of tools available to them, such as ChatGPT from OpenAI or Claude from Anthropic. That involves getting more out of these tools than just using them as a search engine.
According to Fuller, “you want to get in a dialogue with it,” “You want to ask it to take different perspectives.”
Developing transferable skills can also be achieved by learning how to use AI tools, according to Emily Rose McRae, an analyst at the research and advisory firm Gartner. Asking AI to summarize documents and then verifying its results to ensure accuracy is one example.
While AI can be useful when it comes to applying for jobs, experts warn that users should exercise caution because recruiters can frequently identify AI-generated language. Currently, almost two-thirds of job seekers use AI during the application process, according to a survey by Career Group Companies, a recruitment business.
According to McRae, if you use it to compose your resume and cover letter and you haven’t checked it, people can tell.
While looking for a job, interview practice is another approach to obtain possibly useful AI experience. Users can ask the chatbot, for instance, to provide them sample interview questions and then score the caliber of their answers.
According to Raman, if you use it as a tool to gain a better understanding of yourself during interviews, you will start to outperform everyone else.
Improve your soft skills
As AI becomes more proficient at some activities, such as corporate compliance or actuarial arithmetic, experts predict that employers will place greater value on applicants’ so-called soft skills, like communication and problem-solving.
According to Raman of LinkedIn, AI cannot replace human thought. Critical thinking and sophisticated strategy thinking are skills you must keep improving.
The “5 Cs”—curiosity, compassion, creativity, courage, and communication—will be the main focus, he stressed, rather than your background, including where you attended school or even whether you have a college degree.
In order to enhance their soft skills, Fuller advises job seekers at the entry level to focus on transforming their perceived greatest weakness into a strength. For example, encourage yourself to become more at ease in circumstances where you ordinarily avoid public speaking or group conversations.
“In the future, the inability to do that will be penalized more severely than it has been in the past,” he warned.
The Harvard professor also recommended emphasizing advanced social skills examples on your resume to assist recruiters see how you may be a valuable employee.
Pick your employer carefully
In addition to developing their talents, experts advise recent college graduates to consider the kind of organization they want to work for, as AI has the potential to significantly change the corporate landscape in the years to come.
According to Raman, if you’re a recent graduate, where you work is more essential than what you do there.
Instead of embracing AI primarily to replace people, he advised recent college grads to look for employers that are incorporating AI properly and with consideration for their workforce. The greatest chances for learning and development are usually found in companies that are quickly adjusting to significant technology changes, according to Fuller.
Young people looking for work can try to understand how they fit into the company’s future while assessing a potential employer. McRae advises, for instance, that recruiting managers be questioned directly about the kinds of investments the company is making in its staff and what opportunities for advancement are available.
What do they claim to be concerned about? What are the current career paths for this position? How can you assist others in acquiring the abilities required to become experts?, she said.
McRae also advised fresh college graduates to explore for organizations that provide apprenticeship or rotational programs, since these can provide opportunities to rapidly expand their knowledge base, particularly in the event that typical entry-level positions are hard to come by.
